Ascension pipe connection



Aug. 13, 1940. c. 5m) 2,211,156

ASCENSION PIPE CONNECTION Filed July 5, 1938 I i 1 g2 J 1 64 G 1 o i I y a; I I 2 C( x fo BY 4 fat/115M526? ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 13, 1940 PATENT OFFICES ASCENSION PIPE CONNECTION Carl Otto, The Hague, Netherlands, assignor to Fuel Refining Corporation, Dover, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application July 5, 1938, Serial No. 217,553

3 Claims.

The general object of the present invention is to provide an improved ascension pipe connection to the hydraulic main of a byproduct coke oven battery. Such a connection necessarily in- .:cludes means for interrupting the normal communication through the connection between the ascension pipe and the hydraulic main during the periods in which coke is being discharged from the coke oven or retort normally passing distillation gases into the ascension pipe.

The general object of the present invention may be more specifically stated, as comprising an ascension pipe connection including means of a known and desirable character for temporarily 5' establishing a liquid seal cutoff between the asstruction, by its compactness, and by its freedom,

in normal operation, from pitch or other objectionable deposits.

The Various features of novelty which characterize my invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, however, its advantages, and specific objects attained with its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing and descriptive matter in which I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Of the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation in section of a portion of a hydraulic main and an ascension pipe connection thereto, and

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating a modified construction; and

Fig. 3 is a partial section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1, A represents a horizontally disposed hydraulic main formed with a separate, or individual, port A in its side wall for each of the ascension pipe connections thereto, there being ordinarily one such connection for each oven or retort in the coke oven battery with which said main is associated, but only one port A and ascension pipe are shown in Fig. 1. From the top section B of the ascension pipe shown, distillation gases normally pass into the main A through a hollow connection element or member C. As shown, the ascension pipe top section B is provided with a downwardly inclined tubular branch B, and the latter is formed at its free end with a flange for connection to the flanged end portion C of the member C. The upper end of the ascension pipe B is normally closed by a valve or cap member B The member C is provided at its end remote from the ascension pipe B, with a flange C shaped to be clamped against, and make a tight joint with, the portion of the wall of the main A at the margin of the port A. The bottom wall portion of the member C is rather sharply inclined to the vertical downward from the ascension pipe toward the main A, and, as shown in Fig. 1, the top wall of the member is inclined to the vertical at a somewhat smaller angle. The member C, which ordinarily will be a cast iron structure, is shown as formed with an inclined baflle or web portion C which unites with the body portion of the member to form a seal chamber C of trough, or conical cup, form. The member C is also formed with a web or baiile portion G extending downward from its top wall G into the chamber C to thereby provide a liquid seal cutoff between the ascension pipe and main, when the space C is filled with liquid.

The seal chamber C is formed with a downwardly inclined bottom outlet C through which when open, liquid received in said chamber may drain through the port A into the main A. While in the normal operation contemplated, gas liquor is constantly being discharged into the chamher, the liquor accumulates therein, to establish a seal against gas flow between the ascension pipe and the hydraulic main, only when a ball valve D is lowered into its full line position, in' which it engages its seat C and closes the normally open bottom outlet C from the seal chamber. As shown in Fig. 1, the valve D is connected to the lower end of a valve stem D extending axially upward through an elongated vertical passage C formed in the top wall of the member C, and surrounded by an annular well or seal chamber C 'formed in said top wall and closed at its lower end and open at its upper end. The seal chamber C receives the rim or body portion of a sealing member E in the form of a bell, or inverted cup. The member E is secured to the stem D which extends axially through and makes a gastight joint with the bottom wall of the member. A pipe F continuously supplies liquid, ordinarily gas liquor, to the seal chamber C from which the liquor overflows into the passage C and thence into the connection element 0. As shown, a hook cl adapted to enter an eye in the upper end of the valve stem D, is supported by a chain at the level required to hold the valve D in its wide open, upper position, shown in dotted lines,

l D extends.

low relative to the hydraulic main.

and in which the member E is still in sealing engagement with the sealing liquid in the chamber C A pipe FA is provided to spray liquid, ordinarily gas liquor, into the member C, adjacent its upper end, and thereby establish a liquid seal gas cutoiT between the ascension pipe and hydraulic main, when the valve D is adjusted to close the port C If the liquid supplied by the pipe FA were used solely for its seal forming purpose, the pipe FA would need to discharge liquor into the connection, only for a brief period at the end of each charge coking operation of the corresponding oven. Normally, however, liquid is continuously sprayed into the element C, by the pipe FA, to wash distillate and dust deposits off the inner wall of the element C and prevent their adhering to, and baking on said wall. As shown, the portion of the bottom wall of the connector C, beneath the seal chamber outlet C and extending therefrom to the lower margin of the port A, is steep enough to insure that all solid material passing from the chamber C through the port C will be swept into the hydraulic main. While the gas liquor supplied by the pipe F enters the seal chamber C and contributes somewhat to the quick establishment of the liquid seal cutofi" when the valve D is moved to its closed position, the amount of liquid supplied by the pipe FA ordinarily will be so small, in comparison with the amount of liquid supplied by the pipe FA, as to have little or no practical significance, except for its purpose of sealing the passage in the wall of the member C through which the valve stem Advantageously, and as shown, the passage C is large enough to permit the withdrawal therethrough of the valve D when this is necessary or desirable for inspection, cleaning, or repair purposes.

The described form and disposition of the ascension pipe connection parts, permits of as small a horizontal displacement between the axes of the ascension pipe and hydraulic main as is practically desirable, and permits the passage formed by the ascension pipe branch B and connector C to be downwardly inclined away from the ascension pipe at as steep an angle as is practically desirable, while at the same time permitting the level of the ascension pipe to be desirably As will be apparent, the connection element C may be a relatively simple and inexpensive casting, which ordinarily requires no machining other than the facing ofi of its flanges respectively clamped against the end of the pipe branch B and against the outer wall of the hydraulic main C. The latter, as shown, is cylindrical in cross section, but the connector casting C can have its flange C shaped to fit against the outer wall of a hydraulic main of any normal shape, and in particular to t against the outer wall of a hydraulic main having vertical side wall portions. In some cases, and particularly when the casting is especially rough, it may be desirable to dress the valve seat C with a grinding wheel or the like, but it is not necessary, to provide for a close fitting engagement of the valve D with said seat, since it is desirable rather than undesirable that some of the liquid passing into the seal chamber C may leak past the valve D, when the latter is in its closed position.

The improved ascension pipe connection is especially advantageous because of the small risk of operative difficulties due to the adherence of pitch or analogous hard deposits on the inner walls of the connection, and particularly on the portion thereof where the deposits may interfere with the gas flow when the valve D isin its open position, or with the establishment of the liquid seal cutofi when the valve D is closed, notwithstanding the fact that the reduction in ascension pipe height and in the horizontal displacement of the ascension pipe from the main desirable for other reasons tends to temperature conditions conducive to, or augmenting such difficulties. While the temperature in the hydraulic main isin the neighborhood of, and does not differ much from 212 F., under all normal operating conditions, the temperature of the ascension pipe and the gases passing therefrom into the connection to the main, average several hundred degrees higher. Ordinarily, the last mentioned temperature is substantially higher in the final stage, than in the initial stage of each coking operation. In the final stage, the ascension pipe gas temperature may be as high as 1200 F.

The relatively high maximum ascension pipe temperature, the fluctuation in that temperature, the fact that high boiling point constituents begin to condense out of the distillation gases at a temperature much higher than that of the main, and the fact that the distillation gases occasionally carry considerable amounts of fine coke and coal, and particularly coal, particles, are conducive to the formation of tough pitch deposits on the internal wall of the ascension pipe connection, unless such formations are prevented by the cooling and flushing action of liquid spread into the connection.

When a tarry distillate impregnated with coal or coke dust, is allowed to adhere to a gas swept portion of the connection wall, it is quickly converted into an exceedingly hard and adherent pitch, which ordinarily can be removed only by a laborious chipping operation. The risk that such deposits will adhere in significant amounts to the walls of my improved ascension pipe connection, is relatively low, because of the steep inclination of the bottom wall of the passage through the connection member C which contributes to the flushing effectiveness of the liquid sprayed by the pipe FA, and because the portion of the member C adjacent and on the outlet side of the port C is subjected to the cooling action of the hydraulic main with the vapors in which they are in contact. The construction possesses mechanical, or structural, advantages because of the location of the valve seat C externally of the main, with a resultant permissible simplification in the associated valve and valve operation mechanism, and the simple ball valve is easily kept clean, not only because of its form but because it is located in a portion of the ascension pipe connection which is relatively cool because of its proximity to, and good heat transfer relation with the hydraulic main A.

In Figs. 2 and 3, I have illustrated a second embodiment of the invention differing from that shown in Fig. l, in that the connector part BC is in integral extension of the top section BA of the corresponding ascension pipe. Otherwise, the construction shown in Figs. 2 and 3 might be identical with that shown in Fig. 1. In the particular form of ascension pipe connection shown in 2, however, the top wall portion of the connection element BC is substantially horizontal, and the ball valve D is operated by means of a chain D through which the valve is connected to a crank arm G secured to a horizontal shaft G. The latter extends into the ascension pipe connection through an opening 0 in the side wall of the latter. Leakage through the opening C is prevented by means of a stuffing box H having a tubular body portion through which the shaft C extends and in which it is journalled. The stuffing box H has an external annular flange H, detachably clamped, as by means of bolts H against a suitable seat, formed for the purpose on the outer wall of the ascension pipe connection. To facilitate the ready removal of the valve D through the opening C when necessary, or desirable, the opening C is made preferably large enough to permit the stufling box unbolted, to be turned in the opening C so as to warp the crank arm G through said op ng.

As will be apparent with those skilled in the art, the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 2 and 3, possesses the general advantages and desirable characteristics of the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1, and each of those embodiments is well adapted to the attainment of the objects of the invention hereinbefore stated.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. The combination with a hydraulic main formed with a lateral port, of a hollow ascension pipe connection element adapted to pass gas into the main through said port and secured to said main at the margin of said port and comprising a seal chamber which has a bottom outlet at the outer side of said main and is of greater cross section at its top than at its bottom and has a portion of its wall extending through said port into said main and forming a weir within said main over which liquid may overflow into said main from said chamber, said element being shaped to provide an unobstructed downwardly extending path of flow from said outlet into said main, means for spraying liquid into said chamher, said connection element including a bafile extending downward into said chamber and a crank arm normally located within said ele-- ment, an operating connection to the valve depending from said crank arm and moving the valve into and out of its said obstructing position as said shaft is turned one way or the other, said shaft, crank arm operating connection and valve being bodily removable through said side wall opening, when said stufiing box is disconnected from said side wall.

3. The combination with a hydraulic main formed with a lateral port, of one piece ascension pipe section with a downwardly inclined lateral branch having its free end shaped for connection to the portion of the outer wall of themain adjacent and surrounding said port, and comprising a seal chamber having a bottom outlet at the outer side of said main and increasing in cross section from its bottom upward and having a wall portion extending through said port into said main and forming a weir within said main over which liquid may overflow into the main from said chamber, said element being shaped to provide an unobstructed downwardly extending path of flow from said outlet into said main, means for passing liquid into said chamber, said branch including a baffle extending downward into said chamber and uniting with liquid therein, when flow through said bottom outlet is obstructed, to form a liquid seal cutoff between the ascension pipe and hydraulic main, and a valve movable into and out of position to obstruct said outlet.

CARL one. 

